How do I import this JSON into Grafana?

In Grafana open Dashboards, choose Import, and paste the JSON or upload the file. Grafana creates the dashboard immediately; you can then save it to a folder and adjust panels in the visual editor.

What is the datasource UID and where do I find it?

Every Grafana datasource has a stable UID shown in its settings URL and configuration page. Each panel and variable references it so the dashboard binds to the right Prometheus instance after import.

What are template variables for?

Template variables add dropdowns at the top of the dashboard, such as instance or job, so one dashboard can be filtered across many targets. This stub creates label_values query variables you can refine in Grafana.

Why is the dashboard uid null?

Leaving uid null lets Grafana assign a fresh unique identifier on import, avoiding clashes with existing dashboards. Set a specific uid later if you provision the dashboard as code and want a stable address.

Can I use a non-Prometheus datasource?

This stub targets Prometheus and emits PromQL targets, but the JSON structure is generic. After import you can switch a panel's datasource and rewrite its query for Loki, InfluxDB, or another backend in the editor.

What is the Grafana Dashboard JSON Stub Builder?

Builds an importable Grafana dashboard JSON stub with a title, time range, auto-refresh, Prometheus datasource UID, template variables, and laid-out time-series, stat, gauge, and table panels each wired to a PromQL query. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

Grafana Dashboard JSON Stub Builder

Name: Grafana Dashboard JSON Stub Builder
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

A starting-point dashboard you can import in seconds

Building a Grafana dashboard by hand in the UI is fine for one panel and tedious for ten. This builder emits a clean, importable dashboard JSON stub — title, time range, refresh, datasource binding, template variables, and a grid of panels each pre-wired to a PromQL query — so you start from a working layout instead of a blank canvas.

How it works

The tool constructs the JSON Grafana expects on import. The dashboard object carries your title, a null uid (so Grafana assigns a fresh one), a current schemaVersion, a time range, a refresh interval, and a timezone. Each template variable becomes a query-type entry running label_values(<name>) against your Prometheus datasource. Each panel you add gets a sequential id, your chosen panel type (timeseries, stat, gauge, bargauge, or table), a gridPos laid out two-per-row, and a single target holding your PromQL expr. The whole structure is JSON.stringify-formatted in your browser, ready to paste into Dashboards then Import.

Anatomy of the generated JSON

Understanding the key fields in the output helps you edit it confidently after import:

uid: null — Grafana generates a unique identifier on import. Set a stable value if you provision dashboards as code (GitOps) so the URL does not change across updates.
schemaVersion — Grafana uses this to migrate dashboards from older formats. Leave it at the value the builder emits unless you are targeting a specific Grafana version.
templating.list — each variable here creates a dropdown filter. The label_values query populates it from your Prometheus metric labels at load time.
gridPos — controls the panel’s position and size on the canvas. The builder uses a two-column layout (width 12, height 8). After import, drag and resize panels in the visual editor.
targets[0].expr — the raw PromQL expression. This is where you paste queries like rate(http_requests_total{job="$job"}[5m]), referencing your template variables with $variable syntax.

Choosing panel types

Panel type	Best for
timeseries	Rates, counters, latency over time
stat	Single current values: uptime, error count, active connections
gauge	Values with a known min/max range: CPU %, disk usage
bargauge	Comparing the same metric across multiple instances
table	Raw label sets, inventory data, multi-column breakdowns

Finding your datasource UID

Every Grafana datasource has a stable UID you must supply when building the JSON. Find it in Grafana under Connections → Data sources, click your Prometheus source, and look at the URL — it ends with the UID, for example /connections/datasources/edit/abc123def456. The same string also appears in the datasource settings panel under the name field. Pasting the wrong UID means panels silently show no data after import.

Tips

Add instance and job template variables so a single dashboard filters across every scraped target. Reference them in queries with {job="$job", instance="$instance"}.
Treat the output as a scaffold: import it, then refine thresholds, units, and legends in Grafana’s visual editor. Setting units (bytes, milliseconds, percent) in the panel options transforms raw numbers into readable displays.
For GitOps workflows, store the JSON file in version control and provision it via Grafana’s dashboard provisioning config rather than using the import UI every time.